Russo Brothers’ Big Budget Films: Do They Pay Off?

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Through movies like “The Electric State” this month, directors Joe and Anthony Russo, known for their work at AGBO, have earned a reputation as big-budget filmmakers in the industry. However, it’s important to note that the projects produced by AGBO span a broader range of costs. The Russos collaborate with streaming platforms, independent studios, and even former Marvel colleagues on various action-packed productions. Despite the astronomical budgets of their upcoming films, “Avengers: Doomsday” in 2026 and “Avengers: Secret Wars” in 2027 (co-produced by Marvel and AGBO), it’s clear that the film’s cost is not always a reflection of its audience size.

    21 Bridges (2019)

    STXfilmsReported budget: $33 million

    In this crime thriller, Chadwick Boseman portrays a tenacious NYPD detective, marking the Russos’ debut as producers under their company AGBO. The outcome was an impressive $50 million in worldwide box office earnings.

    Extraction (2020)

    NetflixReported budget: $65 million

    In his directorial debut, Chris Evans’ former stunt double, Sam Hargrave, casts Chris Hemsworth as an Australian mercenary tasked with rescuing a drug lord’s son. The script was penned by Joe Russo. The outcome? A staggering 135.7 million views within the first 91 days.

    Mosul (2020)

    NetflixReported budget: $20 million

    The Russo duo helmed Matthew Michael Carnahan’s first directorial venture, a war film titled “21 Bridges,” which was based on a true story of an Iraqi SWAT team fighting ISIS. The outcome? While Netflix hasn’t disclosed the viewership figures, it was said to have garnered significant popularity in Europe and the Middle East.

    Cherry (2021)

    Apple Original FilmsReported budget: $42 million

    Following the “Avengers: Endgame,” the initial directing project by the Russos, presents Tom Holland’s character as a former soldier grappling with drug addiction and resorting to bank robberies for survival. However, Apple has yet to disclose the number of viewers.

    Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

    A24Reported budget: $25 million

    In collaboration with the Daniels, AGBO helped craft the screenplay for their multiverse action-comedy film, which garnered an impressive seven Oscars, including ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Actress’ for Michelle Yeoh. This cinematic masterpiece ultimately raked in a staggering $143.4 million at the worldwide box office.

    The Gray Man (2022)

    NetflixReported budget: $200 million

    In the lead role as the titled CIA agent, Ryan Gosling finds himself pursued by a relentless mercenary portrayed by Chris Evans with a distinctive mustache. The Russos took charge of direction, while Joe Russo contributed to scriptwriting. The outcome? A staggering 41.2 million views within the first week and an impressive 139.3 million views in just 91 days.

    Citadel (2023)

    Prime VideoReported budget: $250 million for six-episode first season

    In this spy thriller TV series titled Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra, and Stanley Tucci, strict COVID guidelines were followed and extensive reshoots took place following dissatisfaction with the first season by the Russos. The outcome? While specific viewership data is only available from Nielsen’s charts during the Season 1 finale week when it reached a high of 273 million minutes watched in the U.S., equivalent to around 1.1 million views after considering runtime. (Amazon reported that Nielsen measured only 35% of the show’s audience, with the remaining 65% being international viewers, but this data is for a period of 28 days post-finale.)

    It’s worth mentioning that apart from the original “Citadel,” AGBO has developed two spin-offs: “Citadel: Diana” (set in Italy) and “Citadel: Honey Bunny” (set in India). Unfortunately, there’s no information regarding their production budget or viewership numbers.

    Extraction 2 (2023)

    NetflixReported budget: $90 million

    In the sequel of the initial movie, the same team reappears, featuring a brief appearance by Idris Elba. As a consequence, it garnered an impressive 42.8 million views within its first week and amassed a total of 134.9 million views in its first 91 days.

    The Electric State (2025)

    NetflixReported budget: $275 million

    In a futuristic tale, Chris Pratt and Millie Bobby Brown lead the cast in a sci-fi journey through an America torn apart by a human-robot conflict. The Russos were at the helm of this production. The outcome? An impressive 25.2 million views within the first week, quickly climbing to 47.7 million after just 10 days.

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2025-03-27 20:49